Before you start reading this, let me assure you that I'm well aware of the fact that GW designers are not constrained by laws of physics, technical requirements or any other real-life nonsense when creating their models. They design vehicle that suppose to look COOL. Rest of it, rules, fluff, painting is irrelevant. After all, according to 40k fluff, armed forces of Imperium are designed in a way that none would be completely self-supporting and independent, but we keep getting rules where Space Marines can field almost anything from infantry to air force under same banner. Now lets come to our subject, Storm Talon and 5 things GW got completely wrong about it.
 |
| who's the daddy of storm talon? |
Storm Talon design definitely keeps in line with GW overall approach to all Imperial fliers, aka "flying brick". Its square, has chicken wings, lots of unnecessary details to produce as much drag in the air as possible. Usually it is relatively easy to spot real life sources of inspiration for most of GW Imperial vehicles, but here i struggle to define one. The first thing which come to mind is one of those two helicopters: Apache and Comanche. But then you read into the rules and notice that this thing is supersonic as well as hovercraft. Great! Storm Talon must really versatile, you'd think until you try it in combat. There is another aircraft similar to Storm Talon - AV-8 Harrier, but unlike Talon, it has twice more combat capability and look much more elegant. But if you take a closer look to the side of Storm Talon you may notice who is the real daddy:
 |
 |
| Storm Talon, I'm your father! Join the fish side! | Dad! Is that you?! |
Now it all fits into place. Whoever was working on the project must have had a goldfish in his office, that clearly inspired the looks of the aircraft. Otherwise, i can not possibly imagine that having such great planes as a starting point, GW released a flying fish.
The biggest problem of Storm Talon is that all its weapons are cramped in the nose for no apparent reason. You may argue that it gives you an extra inch when firing at that distant target, but have you ever asked yourself how often it make a huge difference? 48" range is more than enough to cover most of gaming boards in a straight line. But what about 360 degrees of firing ark for your assault cannon? What if i want to have a lascannon in moving nose turret? Heavy bolters or missile launchers are placed on the side, landing gear, as well as literally in-build restrictions stop assault cannon from gaining that. WHY???
Look at Apache with its .50 cal undercarriage, it can fire it at any target below. Storm Talon is stuck with its 45 degrees front ark, and because it lightly armoured, it can go to hover mode only if there is no opposition around. As a result, we are stuck to hit-n-run tactics, which does not fill the requirements of close air support. You may of coarse field Storm Raven in this role, but that thing has a different battlefield role. Number of people have kit bashed Talon with armament in extended wings, Nephilim-style, but that does not change the problem. So unless you are happy with its limited angle, there always be targets that will evade you wraith.
There comes the comparison with Harrier. For those who do not know, Harrier is equipped with single vectored thrust Rolls Royce Pegasus II engine. 4 vectored thrusts keep plane both in flight and in hover modes, as well as providing short take-off options. Simplified it looks like that:
When you look underneath Storm Talon, you will find similar 4 hoses, which should imply, that it has similar system. Alternatively, it may have a engine providing vertical drag, similar to Russian Yak-38. But then in the name of what we have 2 additional engines, which can be tilted? Let me guess... So that a kid could turn them once and feel cooool about it for 5 seconds. Get yourself a transformer toy, if looking for that sort of crap.
4. Size of wings (fins?)
It is obvious that they are too small for anything to be placed on them. Though their size make Talon much smaller target, their functionality for alternative weapon placement is out of any aesthetic question. Anything will look huge and out of place on them. Kit bashers usually change or extend wings to place bolters or missile launchers underneath, to solve that problem. Some use replacements from other kits, like Sentinel or Land Speeder. Regardless of that wings are not the best place to present iconography of the Chapter. Luckily they gave us a HUGE tail fin, the only place on the model where we could paint, place huge transfers or just leave it empty.
5. Weapons load-outs and special rules
In its infinite wisdom we have only one slot we can modify. ONE! With only four options to choose from twin-linked heavy bolter, twin-linked lascannon, Typhoon missile launcher and useless Skyhammer missile launcher (It is just another "special" weapon designed to make one particular unit a bit better, while robbing away its versatility). Am I the only one who feels robbed of options? What if I don't want the cursed assault cannon? Two twin-linked lascannons would be my preferred load out. Why not give me that? At least i can put assault cannon to Razorback, without going to Forgeworld.
Where are the guided missiles? At least give me a hunter-killer option, please? It is a standard weapon after all. How about a special load outs like Interceptor, Ground Attacker, or Recon? I'd love to have Infiltrate and Scout on Talon, to blast the enemy before the main battle begins. No? Can i get an Interceptor rule, to kill those pesky Eldar as they fly into the board? No? Space Marines are not cool enough?
Hover strike is probably most useless rule for Talon. With main weapons already twin-linked, and Pinning and Rending, why do you need an extra +1 to BS and additional Pinning? It may be useful sometimes, but it is a bit of overkill. Especially know that to get it, Talon becomes a bullet magnet, as it loses its Jink save.
Ceramite Plating, which ignores melta rule, may be of use, but would it be more logical to improve Jink save for a such highly manoeuvrable aircraft, as opposite to heavy Storm Raven?
In conclusion of my prolonged winging, Storm-fish-Talon, is still a good option. But not the best.
Mark-Paul.
P.S. Have I mentioned that putting landing gear on the turret of assault cannon is most ridiculous idea I've ever seen? Well now I'v said it. :)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment